Spent some days in Oregon wine country (mid-May) and here are some notes and impressions. Not much detail on the TNs. One common theme were the servers pushing the wine clubs. Some were subtle about it and some were not.
Overall, many of the young wines had similar flavor profiles but almost all were well-made.
Domaine Drouhin
Nice facility and they accommodated our 6 tasters as the limit is usually 4 people.
2021 Limited Edition Rose – Great nose with body and acidity. Nice. $30
2020 Arthur Chardonnay – My note literally: WOW, acidity and fruit. We all really liked this wine. $40
2019 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir – Nose of cherry fruit with the palate following that. Medium body and good acidity leads to some noticeable tannins. Long Finish. $45
2018 Rose Rock Zepherine Pinot Noir – Darker color, cherry fruit, fewer tannins than the last wine. $65
2018 Laurene Pinot Noir – Excellent bottle in every way: fruit, aromas, balance, and acidity. $75
This was an excellent tasting across the board.
Domain Serene
We visited here in 2014 at the old tasting room. The new tasting room is a huge facility that’s quite opulent. We really liked the wines then and joined the club for a year or two. So when the server initially came by the table he asked why I dropped the club. Kind of creepy being research liked that.
NV Rose – Crisp fruit flavors and nice nose. Some tannins. $44 (overpriced)
2019 Evenstad Chardonnay – Very nice. $75. ($: see above)
2019 Limited Edition Pinot Noir – A little vegetative on the nose & flavors, Fairly tannic. $75
2018 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir – Big fruit and tannins but well balanced. Really liked this one. $85
2018 Jerusalem Hill Pinot Noir – Amazing nose of fruit and spices. Huge fruit on the palate. Noticeable tannins on the finish. This was our favorite.
2018 Grand Cheval Red Wine – Blend of 70% Walla Walla Cabernet and 30% Estate Pinot. Big huge and fruity and wildly overpriced at $85 as compared to other wines of this style. We liked it.
(Vintage?) Knights Templar Cuvee (Red Burgundy) – Big fruit on the nose (think USA Pinot) with earthy, dark fruit flavors, and fine tannins.
2019 Château de la Crée, Santenay Premier Cru Gravières Chardonnay – Lost the notes. But a truly excellent wine in all aspects. Best of the bunch. $100
White Rose Estate
I didn’t take notes here as I know I like the wines (former club member). But another good line up of Pinots:
Convivial Feast, White Rose Vineyard, Winemaker’s Cuvee.
This tasting rooms was quite a change from Domaine Serene. Small, dark, with a friendly vibe. The staff was great.
Anne Amie
One of our group suggested this as he knows the Maryland wholesaler. Another great visit. There were 2 tastings offered so my wife and I got different ones.
2017 Brut Rose – Dry, good fruit and tasty. $45
2019 Pinot Blanc – Yeasty, bready nose. Rather soft on the palate but rich flavors.
2018 Prisme Pinot Noir Blanc – Excellent across the board: nose, flavors, balance. $45 We bought some of this.
2018 Gamay Noir – I’m not generally a fan of Gamay but this was nice. $30.
2018 Twelve Oaks Estate Pinot Noir – Good fruit typical of Pinot. Finishes with tannins and acidity. Liked it. $50
2017 Estate Pinot Noir – Big fruit nose and flavors, some tannins, and a very long finish. $50
2017 – L’Iris Reserve Pinot Noir – Favorite of the day. Big and balanced aromas and flavors. Long finish. Yum. $65
Soter Vineyards
Another visit set up via ITB connections. The server is a professor at a local school and an expert on the vineyards in the area. Great visit. Again, no details but good wines across the board.
2021 Pinot Noir Rose $30
2019 Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir. $60
2019 Estate Pinot Noir. $54
2019 Mineral Springs Pinot Noir. $75
Not a slacker in the bunch and well-priced. All the reds showed some degree of tannins and they all see substantial (40%+ ) new oak which stood out in the Estate.
Brick House
A very old, smallish facility. Our server was great and knows the owner of Crozet Creamery here in town
2021 Rose of Pinot – Nice bright flavors, very good. $30
2018 Cascadia Chardonnay - Balanced aromas and flavors, well integrated. $40
2020+2019 (blend) House Red Pinot Cherry aromas, candied fruit flavors, good acidity. $29
2019 Les Dijonnais Pinot – Great nose and smooth, balanced flavors. $54
2017 Les Dijonnais Pinot – Less pronounced aromas, a bit more tannic than the younger version. Great fruit and spicier.
Argyle
We had a flight of sparkling wines and one each of whites/Pinots.
4 Sparkling wines and the standout was 2017 Knudsen Brut. $55 Great nose of fruit with matching flavors. Also had 2016 Spirit Hill Blanc De Blanc, 2017 Knudsen Blanc de Blanc, and 2018 Artisan Brut Rose. None of these 3 matched the 2017 Knudsen Brut.
2019 Nuthouse Riesling – Pronounced (but not off-putting) petrol on the nose. Great fruit, medium body, and acidity. $35.
2019 Reserve Pinot Noir – Typical Pinot nose. Brig fruit and spices. Full bodied. $40, good QPR.
2019 Nuthouse Pinot Noir – Huge fruit and softer than the Reserve. Not as structured. $55.
Beaux Freres
2020 Willamette Chardonnay – Nice but overpriced at $85 unless it ages into something special.
2018 Star Mooring Pinot – Good but very young and tannic. $85
2017 Belles Souers Pinot – Beautiful nose that kept getting better over time. Excellent flavors and long finish. Really liked this one even at $135.
2017 – Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot - Dark, toasty nose that opens nicely. Big fruit with matching tannins. $145
2018 Abbot Claim Pinot – Initial nose of buttered toast. Big Pinot fruit and tannins.
Winderlea
Never heard of this one until it was recommended by a distributer in Maryland. Nice facility with great views over the valley behind it.
2018 Brut – Brioche on the nose followed by lemon curd and white fruits on the nose. $65
2021 Pinot Noir Rose – Light/flowery nose. Delicious flavors and great acidity. $38
2018 Weber Pinot – Again, flower nose (violets), epazote (look it up) with a long finish and tannins. $55
2018 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot – Great nose with big fruit and tannins.$65
2018 – Legacy Pinot – Caramel on the nose with, again, great fruit. Best and easiest drinker of the 3 Pinots. $85
Patricia Green
We all thought this was one of the best visits of the trip. Friendly staff and dogs, great views, with excellent wines. I used to be a club member but had to stop due accumulating too many. Dollar for dollar this winery outperformed most of wineries we visited.
2021 Sauvignon Blanc – We were to ask for this if it wasn’t poured. Very good expression of the grape. $29, I think.
2021 Rose of Tempranillo – Light nose and flavors. $29
2019 -Estate Pinot – Big, spicey nose and flavors. Very good. $55
2019 Weber Pinot – Good, medium bodied wine. $48
2019 Freedom Hill Pommard Clone Pinot – Bigger nose and flavors than the Estate and finished with noticeable tannins. $48
2019 Freedom Hill Coury Clone Pinot –. Big fruit with a great finish. $75
2018 Mysterious Pinot – Made from a competitor’s grapes. Lighter nose than the others but huge flavors and body on the palate
2019 Notorious Pinot – Dark toasty/fruity nose. Again, huge fruit with some tannins. $85.
Longplay
Another great visit. Todd was an excellent host with great wines. (Liked the jazz playing in the tasting room as well)
2018 Jory Slope Chardonnay – Good, but light body with great finish. $35
2021 Distortion Rose of Pinot – Great nose and flavors. $22. Bought some.
2017 Lia’s Pinot – A blend of all their vineyard’s fruit. Beautiful nose with full body, fruit, and acidity. $29
2019 Jory Bench Reserve Pinot – Toasty nose which subsides. Pinot fruit on the palate with a long finish. $42, bought this one.
2017 Jory Bench Reserve Pinot – Another great wine with similar profile to the ’19.
2014 Hi-Tone Pinot – Showing age in the color but youth in the nose and flavors. $52.
2020 Explicit Lyrics Pinot – Made from fruit that was exposed to smoke that year. Great nose and a delicious wine sold for immediate drinking. No evidence of smoke taint. A bargain $24 as long as it holds out.
Willakenzie
Final visit of the trip with mixed opinions. Their regular tasting lineup were all 2016 Pinots. Not a good idea as they were all showing their age in the nose and flavors. Not good aging either. I’ll skip most the notes for them as nobody really cared for them. Makes me wonder what the younger wines will become. We also were tasted on some 2018s.
2018 – Le Crete Pinot – Big everything with tannins.
2018 Yamhill-Carlton ‘Clairier’ Pinot – Beautiful nose and palate with some finishing tannins. An excellent wine. $80
2016 Triple Black Slopes Pinot – The best of the 2016s and an excellent wine. $80